Digital Intermediates and VFX for Modern Independent Film Production

A Production Handbook by Tashi Trieu

Studio-level production and post-production practices for independent features and short-form work, from acquisition through dailies, editorial, VFX, finishing, and distribution.

Why this matters, even on a small production

Small productions routinely use cleanup, set extensions, screen replacements, beauty work, compositing, and CG without studio infrastructure. Their most expensive mistakes often happen before the first plate pull. Common causes include an undefined color pipeline, inconsistent naming, an unsuitable format, or an incomplete handoff. Set the workflow before production.

Use the Handbook

Where to Start: role-based reading paths and first decisions
A Filmmaker's Guide to DI and VFX: what directors and producers decide, delegate, review, and preserve
Post-Production Planning: roles, budgets, bids, schedules, QC, and recovery
Production Workflow at a Glance: the complete image path in brief
Camera and Format Data Rate Calculator: data rates and storage for production cameras, ProRes, DPX, TIFF, and OpenEXR
Technical Specifications: versioned, default-backed specifications for image pipeline, dailies, VFX, review, DI, mastering, security, delivery, and archive
Low-Budget Case Studies: $10 million, $500,000, and $10,000 productions solve VFX and finishing problems at different scales
Glossary: terminology and aliases

Offline Editions

The offline editions follow the same order and are rebuilt whenever the wiki changes.

Previous Editions

The wiki updates the original PDF as cameras, codecs, standards, and delivery requirements change.

The original typeset editions remain available for download:

English (PDF, 21 MB): v1.0.1, Fall 2017
Simplified Chinese 简体中文 (PDF, 24 MB): translation by Xiyu Fan

See the Change List for the 2.0 additions and revisions.

Contact

Use the form to report an error, ask a question, or suggest an addition.